Delusional Disorder

Description of Delusional Disorder

Delusional disorder is classified as a psychotic disorder, a disorder where a person has trouble recognizing reality. Delusional disorder generally first affects people in middle or late adult life. Delusions tend to be nonbizarre and involve situations that could conceivably occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned, infected, loved at a distance, or deceived by a spouse or lover. Several subtypes of delusional disorder are recognized and listed below.

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Diagnostic Criteria for Delusional Disorder

Nonbizarre delusions for at least one month

Absence of obviously odd or bizarre behavior

Schizoaffective Disorder and Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features have been ruled out

Absence of evidence that an organic factor initiated and maintained this psychotic disturbance

Absence of prominent hallucinations of a voice for at least one week. Absence of visual hallucinations for at least one week

Has never met the criteria for the active phase of Schizophrenia

Subtypes of Delusional Disorder

Erotomanic Type: Predominately erotomanic delusions. Patient believes that another person is in love with the individual. Efforts to contact the object of the delusion through telephone calls, letters, or even surveillance and stalking may be common.

Grandiose Type: Predominately grandiose delusions. Patient believes that he has a special identity, knowledge, power, self-worth, talent or relationship to someone famous or to God.

Jealous Type: Predominately delusions of jealousy. Patient believes his or her partner or lover has been unfaithful. This belief is based on incorrect inferences supported by dubious "evidence." Under such circumstances, physical assault may be a significant danger.

Persecutory Type: Predominately persecutory delusions. Patient believes he is being cheated, drugged, followed, plotted against, slandered or somehow mistreated. The person may repeatedly attempt to obtain justice by appealing to courts and other government agencies. Rarely, violence may be resorted to in retaliation for imagined persecution.

Somatic Type: Predominately somatic delusions. Patient believes he is experiencing physical sensations or bodily dysfunctions such as foul odors or insects crawling on or under the skin or is suffering from a general medical condition or physical defect.